“Your brother’s girlfriend, right?” Spencer clarified.
“No.” I took a deep breath. “She’s all three of their girlfriends. They each fell in love with her, and she fell in love with each of them.”
Silence met this statement, but I took courage in the fact that no one was scoffing or discounting my story as a joke.
Flynn spoke first. “So… they’re like a thruple? Or whatever you call it with four?”
“I guess.” I wasn’t very up-to-date on the terminology. “All I know is that they love her, and she loves them.”
“Is that the kind of relationship you’re looking for?” Raphael asked.
“No,” I said instantly. “I wasn’t looking for any relationship. I moved down here to launch my career. Guys—men—weren’t on my mind at all. And then I ended up here.”
Spencer took a long sip of wine. “So now that you’re living with men, we’re on your mind more?”
“Yes. No. Kind of?” I took a sip of my own drink, and Raphael tightened his grip on my hand as if in encouragement. “It’s true that if things had gone to plan and I was in my small, third-floor apartment and I hadn’t met any of you, yeah, sure, dating would be very low on my to-do list. But I did end up here, and… and…”
“You’ve had lots of time on your hands,” Raphael supplied.
“I was going to say that you three take your shirts off a lot, but what Raphael said is true, too.”
My quip made them laugh, but I had more to say.
“I admit, I have felt restless, and, um, more attuned to male bodies than I usually am.”
“It’s okay to use the word horny,” Flynn said.
My cheeks flamed, but I nodded my head. “Okay, maybe that’s a fair assessment. But it’s more than that. Spencer, those first few days, and especially in the hospital, you were amazing. And now I see you, day in and day out, being a wonderful father and doing all you can to help me. Is it really that surprising that I like you?”
I turned to my left. “Raphael, you’ve been incredible, too. You know when I need a sympathetic ear. You know when I need a gentle push. You know when I need to be alone, and when I’m desperate for company. Plus, if it weren’t for you, I would’ve flunked physical therapy by now. I’m so grateful for all you’ve done.”
“No, we’re grateful to you, cher.” His words weren’t unexpected, but I was pleased to see the understanding in his eyes. He knew what he meant to me.
Then I turned to Flynn.
“Let me guess. You’re grateful when I take my shirt off and throw bales of hay around,” he said before I could say anything. “I’ve seen you watching from your window.”
“You do that?” Spencer asked, looking at me, but I ignored him.
“You’re right, I don’t know you as well, Flynn. But you know what I do know? You give me what I need when I need it. The handrails in the shower. The sketchpad. A litter of adorable puppies.”
“Yeah, I really came through after ignoring you for a solid week.” Flynn’s voice held anger, but I knew it wasn’t me he was angry with.
“Let her continue,” Raphael said, and I shot him a smile.
“I don’t know you as well, but you know who does? Charlotte and Lucas. They talk about you all the time. I’ve learned quite a lot about you through their eyes—and I’d like to learn more.”
“You mean, if we’re up for this group thing you’re suggesting?”
God, he made me sound like a sex pervert when he put it like that. “I’m just saying that if I had a crush on a man, I’d like to think that I’d be brave enough to tell him, to see if he liked me back. That’s what I’m trying to do tonight, but it’s not just one man I have a crush on. It’s three.”
“And you don’t want to choose,” Spencer confirmed.
Raphael gave a quick shake of his head. “I think it’s more like she doesn’t want to have to choose. Right, cher?”
“Right.”
“Well, gentlemen, Alyssa’s put her cards on the table and has been extremely open and straightforward in the process. I’d say it’s time we do the same.” Raphael looked the other two men in the eye.
Spencer rose to his feet. “We might need more wine for this.”
I half expected him to disappear inside the house and never return, but he emerged from the kitchen with a dark bottle and an opener.
“I’ll go first,” he said after he’d topped off everyone’s glasses. His eyes met mine. “I’m in. I think about you while I’m at work. I look forward to coming home and seeing you. I’ve given it a lot of thought, too. It’s not just because you saved Lucas, though I’ll never forget that as long as I live. It’s just you. So I’m in.”